


The Boy Who Could Fly

by Amrynth



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Found Family, Gen, M/M, Mild Injury on Hinata's Part, Some Volleyball Happens, adopted brothers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 10:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17506793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrynth/pseuds/Amrynth
Summary: Oikawa notices Hinata at a park and takes him under his wing.  If Hinata went to Kitagawa Daiichi and then Aoba Johsai with his (not literal) adopted brother Oikawa, how would things have worked out for them?





	The Boy Who Could Fly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [olevaot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/olevaot/gifts).



> A prompt I got for an exchange this winter and though I ended up creating something else for the exchange, this prompt didn't quite leave my brain and so here it is. I had a lot of fun working on this and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I enjoy getting to work with Hinata because he's an idiot and I love him. I imagine

It happened in the park when he was still in grade school. Shoyo had been playing with some of his classmates in the park and he jumped to catch the ball before it could go over the fence and get lost to the old man’s property on the other side.

“Hey, Red, do it again.”

Shoyo looked up from the ball in his hands. One of the Older Kids was looking at him and the informal, rule-less game Shoyo had been playing with the other kids his own age came to a grinding halt. 

“What?”

The Older Kid had side-swept, brown hair and eyes that seemed to be laughing at something. His sweatshirt had a green alien on it but the blank look the alien was giving Shoyo was not very reassuring. 

“Jump.”

He said jump but Shoyo didn’t ask how high, he just bounced on his feet and barely cleared the ground.

The Older Kid laughed, a short, sharp noise that startled Shoyo. “No, jump. I want to see if you can do that again. Jump and uh, touch the top of the fence.”

That was easy enough. Shoyo threw the ball back to the other kids (at this point they were mostly spectators now and not likely to return to their game anytime soon) and targeted the position on the fence the Older Kid had pointed out. Shoyo lined up and sprinted for the fence, jumping high enough to touch the sky. It was the best feeling to leave the ground, to fly even for a brief moment. He slapped the point he’d been aiming for on the fence. There was a satisfying rattle when his hand struck the fence, emphasizing the moment he landed back on the ground. He stumbled a little to regain his footing and then slowly turned to look at the Older Kid to see his reaction.

Smiling now, the Older Kid clapped his hands. “That’s really good. Want to come play with us?” Her jerked his head toward where the Older Kids were standing on either side of a net taller than Shoyo. The younger kids were never invited to play with them, back on the ball court he’d been on the other younger kids whispered their amazement. “I’m Oikawa Tohru.”

“Hinata Shoyo. What are you playing?” 

“Volleyball. C’mon, we’ll show you how to play.”

\--

Evenings at the Hinata household ranged from quiet, when Tohru was enforcing study rules to make sure Shoyo was going to get into the schools he wanted; to loud, when Tohru was making little Natsu laugh so hard with his silly stories. They could even be extra loud, Tohru bringing his volleyball friends over to pick up Shoyo or practice out in the backyard with Natsu cheering for both sides of the makeshift teams. 

Shoyo never even considered attending Yukigaoka, which had no volleyball program to speak of; with a few arrangements he was able to attend Kitagawa Daiichi and follow in the footsteps of Tohru who had completely taken him under his wing. 

“Shrimp, you’re going to volleyball club with me, right?” Tohru asked, mussing Shoyo’s wild, red hair.

“I’m still growing!” Shoyo retorted. He’d stopped being so defensive of his height when Tohru showed him clips of the Little Giant playing volleyball but it didn’t stop him from dreaming he would still have another growth spurt. If he could fly like that, then Shoyo could keep up with Tohru and play alongside his friend and brother as long as possible. It wouldn’t matter if he was the shortest person on the team. “Wait, Tohru, wait for me.”

“Keep up. And that’s Tohru-sempai, if you don’t mind.” 

Shoyo jogged after Tohru and glanced back to a tall shadow following them. The shadow was another first year, angular and awkward with the bluest eyes Shoyo had ever seen. He looked away quickly when the shadow cast those eyes on him and had to double his speed to catch up to Tohru again. 

It was okay that Tohru liked to tease him for being short, but Shoyo’s height was still a sensitive matter and he still hoped to get one last growth spurt before going to high school. Even if the other members of the team thought he was too short to play on the team, he could fly and he’d been able to prove it. Plus there was Tohru to vouch for him. 

“Go join the other first years trying out over there,” Tohru said when they got to the gym they were using. “And remember, it’s Oikawa to you. There’s no nepotism in volleyball.” 

“What’s nepo- nipp- nepolism?” 

“Just go. And we’re working on vocabulary or you’ll never get into high school.”

Shoyo grinned, Tohru would never let him fail his high school entrance exams. Even if he didn’t know what nepolism was. He ran over to where a selection of boys his age were mingling with one another and noticed the tall shadow that had been trailing behind him and Tohru was already there, slightly to one side of the other first years.

“Hey, do you know Oikawa?”

“Mmhmm,” Shoyo was proud of his brother, he was the best setter in the prefecture and he would fight anyone who said otherwise. “To- Oikawa-sempai and I have been playing together for a few years.”

There was an immediate reaction to Shoyo’s words; the other first years gathered around him to ask questions about the team captain and volleyball. The tall, blue-eyed first year was still somewhat apart, and seemed to be trying hard to look like he was not listening to the conversation centered around Shoyo.

The truth was that Shoyo had been playing with most of the team for the last two years, ever since Tohru had been admitted into Kitagama Daiichi. He liked the team and the way they all looked to Tohru for leadership. He liked Iwaizumi’s angry face and how he was always so careful playing with Natsu. He liked that even though he could pressure Tohru into allowing Shoyo practice serving instead of studying for a test, Iwaizumi would slap the back of his head and make him keep studying. As a joke, he’d once called Tohru his mama and Iwaizumi his papa. Neither of them had really disagreed, they’d merely been sad to have such a troublesome boy to raise. 

“Alright first years! We’re going to start you with some drills!” Tohru had the attention of the first years as soon as he began speaking. That was one of the talents he had that Shoyo wished he could learn. Tohru had a way of naturally catching and holding the attention of people. Shoyo had noticed it in the way girls acted around his brother even outside school. People noticed Tohru and were drawn to him. He had become captain because he was the best but also because the other players responded to him.

“Yes captain!” Shoyo answered loud and clear even though none of the other first years responded.

“Listen to Hinata. When I give you a drill you will say ‘Yes, Captain.,” Tohru said.

“Yes, Captain!” It was a half-hearted response, other than Shoyo and the tall shadow. 

“When I tell you to run, you run until I say stop. When I tell you to jump, you say…”

“How high, Captain?” Shoyo answered with an unrepentant grin while around him the other first years were getting into yes captain as a response or giggling nervously at him. 

“You got that first years?” Tohru asked.

“Yes, Captain!” was the refrain, gaining energy and momentum and participants as the first years got used to the idea and rhythm of it.

“Good! I want you to run two laps around the gym, go.”

“Yes, captain!”

When the laps were done, the first years introduced themselves. Several of the first years did not particularly stand out. There was Kunimi who had jogged instead of run around the gym, Kindaichi who had tried to make it around the gym first, and Kageyama who was the tall shadow that had been lurking around the edges of Shoyo’s awareness since school had ended. 

Kageyama was tall and despite lurking around for most of the afternoon, had an earnest face and had put full effort into his run around the gym before introductions. Shoyo found himself glancing over at him occasionally and nodding when he stated he’d been playing since the second grade. He was tall, with long arms and big hands that could cover the earth if he wanted. 

And then there was Shoyo, already accepted by the team and glowing a little bit with each new drill they did. He was part of a team; a real team and the same team as Tohru. Well, he would be once he passed the tryouts, not passing was never even a consideration. The grade school he’d gone to hadn’t been so bad in terms of scholastic merits but their sports team left a lot to be desired. Shoyo wasn’t big on scholastic merits, much to Iwaizumi’s irritation.

Within a week tryouts were over and slightly more than half of those who had tried for the team had made it. Included amongst those were the first years that had caught Shoyo’s attention that first day of practice. While some of them might not make it onto the court much their first year, they were excited to really get started practicing with the team.

\--

“Tohhhruuu, I’m tired.” Shoyo collapsed by the side of the court they were practicing on, his knees giving out before he actually reached the line marking the edge.

“Get up, we’re still practicing,” Tohru said, spinning the ball in his hands so that the stripes became a whirl of color. 

There was a tone in his voice that Shoyo had been hearing since the loss against Shiratorizawa. It was hard and flat and uncompromising. If he’d known the vocabulary word for it, Shoyo would have called it zealotry. He didn’t know that word so Shoyo thought of it as passion. He’d always liked Tohru’s passion for the game, it made it fun and it made Shoyo’s level of fascination with it seem normal. It was this tone that had Shoyo starting to push up onto his feet when Iwaizumi interrupted the motion. 

“Enough. You’re pushing the kid too hard. Hinata, sit, drink this.” Iwaizumi pushed a sports drink into his hand.

“He’s fine. Get up, Shoyo.” 

Shoyo froze somewhere between drinking from the bottle Iwaizumi had given him and half rising from the ground. He ended up in a ridiculous looking half-crouch, unsure which parent to listen to.

Iwaizumi slapped Tohru in the back of the head and Shoyo sat down before he could be on the receiving end of his ire. “Shittykawa, you’re pushing him too hard. You’re pushing yourself too hard. Just look at Hinata.”

Tohru blinked and looked at Shoyo, completely unphased by Iwaizumi’s assault. Shoyo felt blue sports drink spill down his front because he took too big a gulp under his brother’s scrutiny. He had an idea what he looked like, face flushed and red and his fluffy hair half plastered down with sweat. He smiled though, determined that if Tohru said he was fit to push harder, he would cap his drink and keep going even if Iwaizumi got mad at both of them. 

“Sorry, Shrimp.”

“Hey, I’m still growing!” Shoyo retorted immediately. 

Tohru smiled a soft little smile and surrendered the ball to Iwaizumi who was still scowling a hard little scowl. He grabbed a sports drink and joined Shoyo at the side of the court, sitting on the ground beside him. “No. I really mean I’m sorry.” 

It wasn’t the last time Iwaizumi shouted at Tohru for working too hard. In the weeks leading up to their next tournament game, Tohru was barely at home when Shoyo came to check on him. When the other members of the team had gone home for the night, Tohru and Iwaizumi remained behind. So Shoyo stayed behind too. At first he snuck back into the gym, not certain if they would be doing illicit, secret volleyball routines. It turned out he was practicing his serve for hours while Iwaizumi alternated between trying to get Tohru to stop for the night, commenting on his form, and simply adding sarcastic commentary to what “Shittykawa” was doing. 

“How long have you been watching, Hinata?” Iwaizumi asked, spotting his red hair on the second night he’d snuck in.

“A fu-few minutes?” Shoyo fibbed and it was obvious to both the older volleyball players. 

“Tohru,” Iwaizumi said, his voice pitched low and quiet so that Shoyo wasn’t supposed to hear. He took the ball from Tohru’s unresisting hands. “Enough, you’re going to hurt yourself and then where will you be?” 

Shoyo avoided looking directly at him, Tohru had insisted Shoyo call him by his given name because they were brothers; he’d never heard Iwaizumi call him by his given name and it felt like something intimate he wasn’t meant to hear. He smushed his hands against his cheeks to cover up the warmth he felt, was he blushing? 

“Hinata,” Iwaizumi called over to him. “Walk Shitty Oikawa home, I’m going to kick his ass if I have to stare at it anymore.”

“Uh. Okay!” Shoyo jumped and ran across the room to Tohru. He’d missed the latter half of their conversation, absorbed in his own thoughts.

Tohru was quiet walking home and Shoyo cheerfully told him about the birds he had seen during lunch and about how he’d had the green bun with his lunch and did Tohru like green because one of his classmates told him it was a funny color for a bun. He’d expected a laugh but Tohru nodded and made a non-committal noise that was supposed to indicate he was listening but made it pretty clear that he was not. So Shoyo instead talked about the practice that had ended before Tohru had been working on his serve alone, how Shoyo had been running with Kunimi and at first had been trying to lap the other first year until Shoyo had worn himself out and Kunimi had easily kept going at his own pace. About how he and Kindaichi had gotten into a competition to see who could spike more balls set by Kageyama.

“Nnh,” Tohru grunted quietly as he came out of her reverie. He stopped mid-stride and stared at Shoyo with wide, unreadable eyes. 

“Tohru.” Shoyo swallowed and looked up at his brother. “Is everything okay? Does your knee hurt?”

The intimidating intensity about Tohru gathered around him like a cloud, only to dissipate as he laughed, soft and light and building until he was doubled over his knees for breath. Shoyo had no idea what he was laughing about but joined in, relieved by the change in atmosphere around his brother. 

“My knee is fine, Shrimp-”

“I’m still growing!” Shoyo declared, bristling out of habit more than out of actual defense. 

“Sure. C’mon, let’s see if your mum is making anything for dinner. I’m starving.” 

The intensity Tohru was practicing with didn’t actually change and the strange dynamic on the team didn’t relent either. Sometimes Shoyo could draw the silly big brother out of Tohru that he’d known for so long and sometimes Iwaizumi would send him home immediately after practice with a fierce glare Shoyo was a little scared of. Things escalated at a practice where half the team was playing against the other half and Tohru was pulled out to be replaced by Kageyama. 

And then the storm blew over as suddenly as it had blown in. Shoyo had gone home immediately after practice to watch his sister and read an impossible book. Iwaizumi had chosen it for him and claimed it would help him pass admissions into Aoba Johsai; he even threatened to quiz him on it later. Shoyo preferred Tohru drilling him on dives until he could barely wobble back to his feet to Iwaizumi literature quizzes. By next practice, after the long weekend, Tohru was laughing again and making up silly names for new maneuvers he wanted to try with the team. 

Shoyo had never felt the pressure of someone catching up at his back, couldn’t even begin to guess what had pushed Tohru to the breaking point.

\--

Graduation changed everything. Shoyo was a mess when Tohru was the best setter in the prefecture and cried almost as much as Tohru himself. Iwaizumi threatened Shoyo that he would be checking on his study notes and Tohru promised to practice with him but it was hard to believe that nothing would change. 

Everything changed. 

Kageyama became the primary setter for Kitagawa Daiichi and the position went to his head. He was good. Hinata could see how much he liked handling the ball, he felt the same way whenever he got to touch the ball on the court. But Kageyama commanded the court in a way that had Kindaichi muttering rebellion and just made Shoyo push harder. Kageyama was the King of the Court, setting the ball regardless of what his spikers wanted or could handle at any given point in the game. He expected perfection, demanded it, put his scorn for anyone who couldn’t keep up into the tips of his fingers and sent it to the court through the ball.

If it weren’t for weekends when Tohru would come by in his high school uniform with a volleyball, Shoyo wasn’t sure he would have made it through the last two years of middle school. Shoyo went to all of Tohru’s volleyball games where they did not get in the way of his own games. There was always a rally of spirit when Tohru and Iwaizumi appeared at the Kitagawa Daiichi games. 

Tohru was playing in a game of his own when it happened. Shoyo was on the side of the court, watching their final game before Nationals. If they won- no, when they won, they would be off to Nationals and then he would go to Aoba Johsai to be on Tohru’s team again. 

It was true that Kageyama was no Oikawa, it was what all the spikers said. He didn’t have that killer serve for one thing, but the primary difference between the two was that Kageyama played on his own, as though he alone could bring the team to victory. Shoyo felt the tension in the game change, like the storm Tohru had been carrying for weeks two years ago. It did not dissipate, instead coming to a head when Kindaichi and the other players refused to touch the ball Kageyama set for them. 

They did not win, they did not go to nationals. And they couldn’t even claim they had tried their hardest. Shoyo couldn’t talk to Kindaichi; he knew if someone was responsible for organizing a rebellion against their team captain, it would be him. He couldn’t talk to Kageyama; instead he watched him stand, stiff and awkward before striding off the court. Shoyo went to the only person he could talk to, crying angry tears on Tohru’s shoulder while Tohru didn’t know what to say to console him. Rather than offer him words, Tohru gave him practice, physically drowning out the emotional pain by jogging until he couldn’t pick his feet up, spiking until his arms ached and while it didn’t soothe his heart at least Shoyo couldn’t feel how badly it had broken. 

It didn’t mean he wasn’t haunted by the memory of Kageyama and the hard betrayal on his face. Kageyama and his perfect set that no one could manage because Kageyama only played volleyball with Kageyama. It didn’t mean he wasn’t haunted for not talking to him when it happened, for not apologizing for something he hadn’t even done. 

The first day of high school, Shoyo was so proud to put on the same uniform his brother had been wearing for the last two years. He had somehow forgotten that Kindaichi and Kunimi had gotten into Aoba Johsai over break and stopped the doorway when he saw them in the gym. 

“First years, over here. You go over there, I want to speak to the three of you from Kitagawa Daiichi.” Tohru eyed the three of them and looked quite impressive with the height and broad shoulders he’d gained since starting high school. He directed the rest of the first years trying out for the team to the side of the gym so that the three from Kitagawa Daiichi were alone with him. “Listen up, you three. On this team we play as that. A team. I don’t want to see any of the shenanigans I heard about the last match at Kitagawa Daiichi, if any of you start playing just for yourselves like that, you will be off the court for the rest of the year. You understand? Now, go join the other first years and we’ll see if you’ve been practicing over break or not.”

Shoyo found that Kunimi and Kindaichi, even if they would not admit it to him or even to themselves, seemed to at least feel bad about what had happened at the end of the season. And, once they’d gotten over the awkwardness of knowing they had thrown the last game of middle school, they were able to play in sync and all remained on the team together.

“Hey, Shrimp.”

“I’m still growing!” Shoyo answered automatically and without much energy as he was busy with his shoes. 

Tohru smiled and crouched down; school had been going for a few weeks and the first years were still getting used to playing on their new team. Shoyo found he liked the team, laughing when Hanamaki and Matsukawa would tease one another and he was already comfortable with Iwaizumi and Tohru.

“Listen there’s going to be a match against another school tomorrow, just a practice match.” Tohru leaned his back against the wall as he spoke. 

“Yeah? What school?” Shoyo looked up, not sure why Tohru was singling him out for this conversation. 

“Karasuno.”

Shoyo jumped to his feet, only one of his shoes on. “Really? That’s the Little Giant’s school, isn’t it?” Something in the back of his mind told him there ought to be another reason to remember that school but what could be more important than the Little Giant’s in regards to his Alma Mater. 

“Yes,” Tohru laughed lightly. “You’re not worried at all?”

“Do you have to leave right after practice tonight?”

“No.” Tohru seemed to be waiting for something, brown eyes watching Shoyo expectantly. 

“Good, I really want to practice receiving if we’re going to play against Karasuno tomorrow.”

There was a long pause and Tohru blinked at him, apparently poised to say something. He breathed another laugh and nodded. “Yeah, we can practice tonight.”

The practice match was on them sooner than Shoyo had thought it would be. Tohru wasn’t even there; he’d gone for his usual morning jog and serving practice without Shoyo and something had gone funny in his knee. He was off talking to the school nurse and had shooed Shoyo out and away to practice insisting everything was fine. The smile on his face made it a lie, but Shoyo went along with it, not wanting to give him more to worry about. 

As though that wasn’t enough Kyotani had come to the practice; the first years were generally intimidated by him and Oikawa was the only third year he really listened to- even then it was hit or miss if he would just do what he wanted. He’d barely even come to half the practices after school.

Iwaizumi looked irritated but Shoyo couldn’t tell if it was his standard level of irritation or if he was actually worried about Tohru. 

On their way to the gym, Shoyo stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar silhouette. Tall, lanky, dark head tucked down so that he was almost impossible to recognize; Shoyo immediately knew Kageyama. He had members of his new team with him and Shoyo ducked behind a corner rather than face him alone. Karasuno. Was that- Had Kageyama gone to such a low ranked school? 

Kindaichi didn’t seem to notice Shoyo hiding against the wall, walking right past with Yahaba alongside him. From his position Shoyo could hear them run into Kageyama and his new team. There was a twist in Shoyo’s stomach and he couldn’t identify if it was from anticipation or thinking about Kageyama on another team. There was a second flip in his stomach when Kindaichi called to the Court King and Shoyo decided it was definitely anticipation and ran for the bathroom so he could get back to the gym on time for the game.

Shoyo emerged from the boy’s room only to run into the last person he wanted to see. Kindaichi and Yahaba were strolling past the bathroom, chatting until they noticed Shoyo. 

“Yo, Hinata. Can you believe it? I tried asking one of those Karasuno first years about that guy. Can you believe Kageyama is here? The Court King himself with his B-grade school, not that I care, but he’s going to play against us. I just saw him and he seems as pompous as he ever was,” Kindaichi immediately continued his conversation, apparently picking up from where he’d left off with Yahaba.

Beside him, Yahaba had the well-worn smile of someone who had endured hearing how much Kindaichi had proclaimed he didn’t care Kageyama was there or how he was doing far longer than someone who didn’t care should have ranted. 

“It’s not about pomposity!” Shoyo exploded, voice rising unexpectedly to surprise all three of them. “That guy, just because he’s talented he works his team really hard. I mean, who does he really think he is? But he’s not pompous!” Shoyo was only mostly certain what the word pompous meant but that was because it had been in the vocabulary review sheet Tohru had given him. 

“Yeah? Well, maybe his skills are above average. I don’t care but,” Kindaichi started to counter, staring down at the small spiker. “I mean, okay maybe he’s good at blocking. And receiving. And serving. But his toss is-”

“Amazing,” Shoyo finished, frowning and nodding. 

“The worst,” Kindaichi finished at the same time.

They stared at one another, finally realizing the last difference between them since Kitagawa Daiichi. They’d both seen Kageyama was a force on the court to be reckoned with, but Shoyo had always admired his skill, his determination, his single-minded focus on the game and precise understanding of where to put the ball when he set it. 

“Take that back.” Shoyo balled up his fists and glared at Kindaichi. 

“Don’t you remember hitting his tosses in a match? They’re way too difficult. He’s an egocentric king! And he can’t do the most important thing for a setter; actually letting the spiker spike the damn ball!” At some point, Kindaichi’s hands had also balled into fists and he was now yelling back at Shoyo. 

“That’s because you didn’t try! You stood on that court and just let the ball fall!” Shoyo shouted. There was months of betrayal in his words, things he’d only really expressed to Tohru. He wasn’t sure when he’d gotten so worked up but Yahaba was trying to position himself between Shoyo and Kindaichi. 

“He’s just looking for pawns to move around the board, the Court King will just discard anything useless to him. If you want to be pawn go ahead and go to a B-grade school, be one of those flightless crows.” Kindaichi breathing hard, more worked up than he’d thought he would get. He took a deep breath and seemed to become aware of Yahaba between them, aware of Shoyo’s barely restrained energy. “Fine. It’s not like I care. I’ll see you on the court.” He turned abruptly and left, stomping down the hallway 

“Hinata, are you going to be okay?” Yahaba asked. He had a frown on his face and kept glancing in the direction Kindaichi had gone, possibly worried that he was going to say or do something in front of the other team. 

“I-” Shoyo’s stomach did another flip and he was immediately glad he was already adjacent to the bathroom. “My stomach hurts.” He darted in, avoiding further conversation about Kageyama. 

Shoyo didn’t see Yahaba leave after a minute’s hesitation. He didn’t see the empty hallway outside the bathroom or the lean, angular figure of Kageyama come around the corner where he’d been able to overhear the entire argument between Kindaichi and Shoyo. Kageyama didn’t stop, but continued to the gym where the rest of Karasuno was waiting for him.

When Shoyo finally returned to the gym he was still feeling nervous and couldn’t stand close to Kindaichi. 

“Hinata.” 

Shoyo’s head snapped up and Iwaizumi was gesturing him over with a frown. He jogged over, not particularly intimidated by Iwaizumi’s frown, it was too similar to the ones he always gave Tohru, to the ones Shoyo got when he was struggling with his studies. 

“You’re not nervous are you?” The way Iwaizumi said it, being nervous wasn’t an actual option unless Shoyo wanted to be smacked up the back of the head. 

“No. Not nervous, no,” Shoyo answered honestly. “It- I didn’t know Kageyama was at Karasuno. It- Well, you remember, right? I just- why does everyone think his toss is bad? That he won't let anyone spike it but they could if they just tried hard enough.”

The frown on Iwaizumi’s face melted slightly and he grunted something that wasn’t words. “Well, show them how to try hard enough. And stop disappearing to the bathroom.” 

“Yes, sir!” Shoyo was cheered up by Iwaizumi’s gruff manners, the familiarity of it and the reassurance of what was normal for him. With a little grin he was running back to the bench beside the court. 

They had to begin the practice match without Tohru; Iwaizumi was on his phone until the last minute, checking texts to see if their captain would be joining them. Between that and Kyotani aggressively prowling at the edge of the court, it didn’t come as a shock that Karasuno quickly pulled ahead on points. 

Yahaba gestured behind his back at Shoyo, indicating that this next toss was going to be set just for him. Shoyo tried his best to keep his face neutral, having played against the other team long enough at this point he could start to pick out the holes in their defense. Tohru had been teaching him to look for the gaps in their defense, the best places to aim the ball at. There hadn’t been a lot of chance for him to spike yet and his ability to fly would take everyone by surprise. Except Kageyama. He caught a flash of dark blue eyes his direction and almost missed when service started. 

The ball was tossed and Shoyo dashed for it, ignoring the rest of his team as his world centered on the ball that already seemed to be slowing down. He moved through the bodies on his side of the court and then he left the ground, feet pushing up until he was suspended in air, flying. Time had stopped and he had all of it; time and the luxury of picking the precise place to spike the ball. 

Until it all fell apart. Shoyo’s attention was where it belonged, on flight, on spiking. Something solid and heavy slammed into him from the side and all he could think was that a car must have hit him. Time still seemed slow and Shoyo had enough time to see Kageyama already abandoning their defense and pointing where Shoyo was suspended in air. Time found him as abruptly as if his wings had been clipped and he fell awkwardly to the hardwood floor. There was a sharp pain in his shoulder, arm and head as all three struck the surface first. 

After that he lost track. Why had they stopped the game, they could still catch up on points. Shoyo tried to voice this, a dark shadow blocking the bright overhead lights as someone called his name, asking for him to respond. A angular, dark shadow with blue eyes. Why wasn’t his voice working, why couldn’t he answer? The shadow sounded concerned. But then everything was shadows and grey and then darkness. 

Shoyo woke up in the nurse’s office, warm and wrapped in blankets. There was Tohru, sitting next to the bed, either texting or playing a game on his phone, it was hard to tell for sure from where he was laying. 

“Who won?” It took a minute for Shoyo to find his voice and it echoed in his head. He winced, becoming aware just how it ached. 

“Postponed, shorty. Those Crows didn’t want to play after you fell like that, we’ve already got a rematch. What do you think?” Tohru set his phone aside and sat up to look at him. 

“B-we were behind,” Shoyo frowned. There was something else he wanted to ask but it was hard to think around the ache in his head and shoulder. “W’happened? I was gonna spike and was flying like woosh and then I was hit like bam.”

Tohru sighed. “Our little puppy was a bit too eager to play and is not good at sharing his toys.” 

It took Shoyo a moment to remember that Tohru’s nickname for Kyotani was Mad Dog. That made more sense than a car hitting him in the middle of the gym. He didn’t like the idea of leaving the game before a winner had been determined and wanted to vocalize that, struggling to pick out words that fit. 

“Hey, relax, shorty. We’ll pick up where the game left off, yeah? You just have to focus on getting better. Iwa-chan was real mad you know, here I thought he only yelled at me like that. Tobio-chan seemed quite concerned you know,” Tohru said. His voice was conversational but he was watching Shoyo for a reaction from the corner of his eyes. 

Oh. That was the other thing Shoyo had wanted to ask about. How had he known? Why was his face warm. 

A large, warm hand reached over and smoothed some hair back from Shoyo’s face. “Don’t think about it so much. You’ve always been better working off instincts than brains.”

Shoyo tried to voice a protest but the warm touch was enough to soothe him back toward sleep. 

He didn’t have a way of knowing how long Kageyama had waited outside the nurse’s office, didn’t know how their next game with Karasuno would go. He slid into the blissful oblivion of sleep, leaving all of these things for later. Soon enough he would come face to face with the setter he hadn’t been able to forget even after graduating to a different school. 

Soon enough he would get to play against Kageyama again.


End file.
